Machine for securing heels to shoes



Oct. 10, 1939. R. ELLISON MACHINE FOR SECURING HEELS TC SHOES -2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ira/02%"- llwili Filed Feb. 8, 1959 Oct. 10, 1939. R. ELLiSON 2,175,595

IACHINE FOR SECURING HEELS TO SHOES Filed Feb. 8, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @Zwriifiiwa 6 40 I Patented Oct. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

The subject matter of the present invention, and the embodiment thereof herein described and illustrated, is a machine primarily adapted for the use of shoe repairers and cobblers in 5 securing heels to shoes.

One of the common operations in repairing shoes is to attach new heels. This operation is a difficult one to perform properly with shoes of the type in which the heel is secured by fastenings inserted from the inside of the shoe; and is particularly difficult with high wood heels. The method practised heretofore by shoe repairers in applying wood heels is to place the heel on the heel seat of the shoe while holding the shoe inverted. Then the workman grasps both the shoe and the heel in one hand and places it in upright position on a bench ,or table. Then while steadying the shoe on the bench with one hand, he drives nails through the sole from the inside of the shoe into the heel. While turning the shoe upright and placing and holding it on the support, the workman depends on the fingers of one hand to retain the heel in its proper location on the heel seat of the shoe until the first nail has been driven. But it is exceedingly difficult to avoid displacement of the heel in such circumstances, and it happens more often than not that the repairer finds, after having driven the first nail, that the heel is on crooked. Then the heel must be removed and the whole operation performed again, and sometimes more than once, before the heel is made fast in the correct location. The repeated driving of nails is liable to split the heel.

Splitting is also an ever present danger where a number of nails are needed to make the heel secure and some are set near the edges of the heel. In fact even under the most favorable conditions otherwise there is a large wastage of wood heels used for shoe repairing, due to splitting. This wastage, together with the time loss due to frequent incorrect placement of the heel at the first trial, makes the reheeling of shoes an expensive job, amounting to many times the retail price of a heel itself.

The primary objects of my invention are to avoid liability of incorrect placement of heels when applied to shoes in repair jobs, to avoid danger of splitting the heels in making them fast, and to increase the security of their attachment by enabling the use of screws instead of the nails heretofore generally used for securing them. A further object is to provide a new machine and means for drilling holes and setting screws therein which is useful for other purposes than the specific one above referred to. The invention consists in a machine and the elements and combinations of parts thereof capable of accomplishing the objects above set forth and other and related objects, one embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter described in detail. It is to be understood, however, that such illustration and description are not intended to limit, and shall not be construed as limiting, the scope of the protection claimed herein to the constructions and details thus illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 1a. is a detail view of a modification;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the work holding portion of the machine taken on line 2-2 of Fig.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the tool driving mechanism taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4.- is a detail cross section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the heel end of the innersole of a shoe showing a desirable pattern or arrangement of screws for attaching the heel.

Like reference characters designate the same parts wherever they occur in all the figures.

The machine here illustrated is designed for placement and use on a bench or table. Its frame consists of a base I and a post ll fitted to a socket in the base, in which it is secured by a set screw 12, and rising vertically therefrom. At the rear of the post the base is formed with a shelf or bracket l3 on which an electric motor M for driving the tool elements of the machine is mounted.

A bracket I is mounted on the post, having a sleeve portion I6 which fits the post and is divided at one side and provided with a clamp screw I! for making it fast on the post at a desired height. The bracket projects toward the front of the machine and supports a work table IS in a manner later described.

A second bracket I9 is similarly mounted and the exercise of ordinary mechanical skill, wherefore I have not complicated this disclosure by showing the details of any such mechanism. It is sufficient to say that the delivery shaft 25 of the transmission mechanism is rotated at a slow speed relatively to the speed of the motor, and carries a sprocket 26 by which a chain 21 is driven for imparting motion to the operating tools.

A tool carriage 28 is mounted on the post I l for vertical movement. This carriage is provided with two separated bearings 29 and 30 which fit the post slidingly, and it is also provided with a guide bar 3| extending between the bearings parallel to the post. A divided collar 32 is clamped frictionally on the post by means of a clamp screw 33 in a location between the two bearings. This collar serves as a supporting seat for a spring 34, a stop or abutment for the bearing 30 to prevent excessive rise of the tool carriage when released, a guideway for the bar 31 and a fulcrum or anchorage point for the mechanism (later described) by which the carriage is moved to ad- Vance the tools. To serve its guiding function, the collar is formed with two wings or projections 35 embracing the guide bar 3|. Its fulcrum or anchor function is served by the clamp screw 33, which has also a bearing zone 36 (see Fig. 4), to which a link 31 is pivotally connected. Said link is connected by a pivot 38 with an operating lever 39 pivoted to the carriage 28 at 40 and having a handle 4|. The spring 34 surrounds the post and presses upwardly on the upper bearing 29. It is powerful enough to hold the carriage in the raised position shown in Fig. 1 and to raise it when the handle is released after depressing the carriage.

The tools previously referred to are a drill 42 and a screw driver 43. The drill is secured to the outer end of a shaft 44 and the screw driver is made in one piece with a shaft 45, as a blade fashioned on the end of the shaft; preferably a cruciform blade. Said shafts are rotatably supported in oppositely extending alined shaft housings 45 and 41 forming part of a rotatable head 48. Head 48 turns about a pivot stud 49 (Fig. 3) which is secured to the forward end member 50 of the carriage and projects laterally therefrom. Bevel pinions 5| and 52 are secured to the inner ends of the shafts 44 and 45 respectively and mesh with a gear 53 which is mounted to rotate on the pivot stud 49. A sprocket 54 is connected with the gear 53 and is driven by chain 21.

It will be understood that the motor l4, through the transmission mechanism described, including the reduction gearing in case 22, drives the drill 42 and screw driver 43 simultaneously and continuously. The speed reduction is such that the screw driver is rotated at an efficient speed for driving screws. In this embodiment the drill is rotated at the same speed, but this is not an essential factor of the invention.

The head 48 may be rotated by hand to put either tool in operative position, which is the position of the drill shown in Fig. 1. It is locked in either position by a bolt 55 mounted in a guideway in the carriage to project from the face thereof adjacent to the head. The bolt is projected outwardly by a spring 56 and equipped with a pin 51 serving as a handle whereby it may be manually retracted. The shaft housings of the tool head have sockets 58 and 59, either of which may be entered by the bolt when in register therewith to lock the head.

The table I8 is supported by the bracket l5 with provision for adjustment both angularly and laterally. It is formed with a downwardly projecting lug 60 abutting against a lug 6| on the bracket. It has also a second lug 9| at or adjacent to its forward edge. A clamp rod 62 passes through a slot 63 (see Fig. 2) in the lug 60 and is screwed into a tapped hole in the lug G l. Its outer end has an enlarged head 64 bearing on the outer face of lug 9| and equipped with an operating handle 65. A slot similar to slot 63 and similarly arranged is provided in the lug 9!. These slots permit both angular and translative movement of the table relatively to the rod 62. A screw 66 is passed through a wide slot or opening 61 (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2) in the lug GI and meshes with the threads of a tapped hole in the lug 60. This screw carries a head 68 of large enough diameter to overlap at its circumference the rim of the opening 61. By means of these screw rods and their clamping heads the table may be made fast in any one of a number of different positions. It may be inclined by pivoting around the rod 62 and may be moved bodily sideways a distance limited by the length of the slots 63 and 61. The latter slot is made with considerable depth and approximately semi-circular shape to permit movement of the screw rod 66 with the table when the latter is tilted around the axis of rod 62.

A clamp is mounted on the table for securing the shoe to the table. This clamp is a rod 69 which passes through a hole 10 in the table and is movable endwise through the hole. It extends perpendicularly to the table and its upper portion is bent over and downward in one plane and also curved in another plane at right angles to the plane of the first bend, substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that its extremity may enter a shoe placed in upright position on the table and bear against the shank portion of the sole on the inside. In other words, the part of the rod above the table is bent into inverted U form, the sides or legs of which are adapted to embrace one side of a shoe upper when applied to perform the shoe clamping function and the leg which enters the shoe is inclined toward the rear end of the shoe, due to the second bend above described. The offsetting of the extremity of the clamp from that portion of the clamp on which force is exerted to secure the shoe causes the leg which enters the shoe to have a spring action and to exert force on the shoe, not only downward but also with a component toward the heel end of the shoe, which presses the heel seat of the shoe firmly into the cup of the heel and tends to prevent the shoe from slipping off the heel in cases where high heels, of which the seating end is steeply inclined to the plane of the table, are used. The same inclination of the entering leg of the clamp also avoids interference with the tools as well as with the view of the operator when the table is steeply tilted, as represented by broken lines in Fig. 2, or adjusted with an even steeper slant, for the attachment of heels of the highest orders.

The lower end of the outer member or shank portion of the clamp is screw threaded and is meshed with the threads of a nut or internally threaded sleeve H. The opposite ends of such .nut or sleeve are reduced in diameter to form coaxial trunnions I2 and 13, one of which fits rotatably in a horizontal web 14 suspended from the table between vertical webs 15, 16, while the other trunnion I3 fits rotatably in a plate 11 secured to the lower extremity of said vertical "I6 webs across the space between them. A crank arm 18 carrying a handle 19 is secured to the lower end of the nut. By turning the handle about the axis of the nut the clamp rod may be raised and lowered. Rotation of the rod at the same time is prevented by its formation, for that part of the rod which passes through the hole 10 is square in cross section and the hole is complementally square. Any other non-circular formation may be given to the rod and hole, or other known means, such as a key or spline and keyway, may be provided to restrain the rod from rotation when the nut is turned.

The clamp rod is displaced from the line of action of the operating tools by a distance proportioned to the average dimensions of womens shoes sufficient to cause the extremity of the clamp rod to bear on the shank part of the shoe forward of the heel breast when the shoe is placed with the midlength of the heel beneath the tool. By virtue of this location the pressure of the clamp is applied to the resilient shank of the shoe which ordinarily is reinforced by a steel shank stiffener. Thus the pressure of the clamp bends the shoe shank more or less and causes the clamping pressure to be exerted resiliently through the heel part of the shoe against the heel.

The operators position is normally at the front, that is, at the left of the position of the machine shown in Fig. 1 and facing toward the right with respect to that figure. The operator, having raised the clamp rod 69 sufficiently to admit the shank of a shoe beneath the clamping extremity, places a shoe and heel on the table with the heel beneath the tool head and the toe extending to the right; and with the clamp hook inside of the shoe substantially as shown in Fig. 2. After seeing that the heel is exactly and accurately centered on the heel seat of the shoe, he tightens the clamp by turning the crank 19. Then, having seen that the tool head is set and locked with the drill in the lowermost position, he starts the motor and pulls down on the handle 4|. He moves the handle downwardly until movement of the carriage is stopped at a point determined previously by the height of the heel. Any one of a variety of adjustable stop means may be used for this purpose, such as a forked plate or block placed on the sleeve 20 embracing the post, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Alternatively, a stop pin 8!, shown in Fig. 5, may be mounted on the side of the carriage 28 opposite to the tool head in the path of the operating lever 39. The operator then releases the handle, allowing the spring to raise the tool carriage, reverses the tool head to bring the screw driver 43 into the lowermost position and places the tip of a screw in the entrance to the hole made by the drill. Or a magnetic screw driver may be used and the screw applied to its extremity. The operator again depresses the handle until the screw is driven home, and releases the handle.

In like manner other holes are drilled and screws driven when conditions require the setting of two or more screws. Two or more screws in line, such as the screws 82 and 83, shown in Fig. 6, or the screws 84 and 85, may be driven in succession without releasing the shoe clamp 69, by moving the entire table laterally. When successive screws to be driven are in an alinement other than parallel with the cleavage plane between the lugs 60 and GI, the clamp 69 may be released and the shoe moved transversely of its length and again clamped.

These screws must be driven approximately perpendicular to the heel seat of the shoe in order that their heads may be substantially flush with the upper surface of the innersole and neither rise upward at one side nor be deeply embedded into the sole at the other side of the head. But the heel seats of different shoes make various angles with the tread face of the heel according as heels of different heights are used. The provisions for tilting the table take care of these variations of inclination, the table being set horizontal, or approximately so, for shoes with low heels, as shown by full lines in Fig. 2, and being inclined at various angles for shoes with high heels of various heights, as represented by broken lines in Fig. 2.

In working on ladies shoes of the smaller sizes and on childrens shoes, it is necessary that the operators view of the interior of the shoe be unobstructed in order that he may correctly locate the screws and also see that the tools do not mar the shoe lining. Both the disposition of the tool head and the form and location of the work clamp in accordance with this invention make it possible for the operator to have such an unobstructed view. As previously stated, the pivot 49 for the tool head projects laterally from the carriage. Preferably, as here shown, it projects to the right with reference to the operator facing the machine. The toe of the shoe extends in the same direction from the position in which the heel is clamped. This causes the enlarged central part of the rotatable head, which encloses the shaft driving gears, to be wholly at one side of the operators line of sight where it does not obscure his View of either tool in approaching and entering the heel.

It will be noted in Fig. 1 that the shank of the drill is set into a socket. in the end of the drill shaft 44 and is secured by a set screw 86. But it is possible to provide a chuck on the shaft extremity which will take drills of a large variety of sizes, or taps and other rotatable tools. Fig. 1a

shows a chuck 81 mounted on the shaft and secured by a screw 88 passing through the side of the chuck into the hole provided in the shaft for set screw 86. In some cases it is preferable to mount the drill directly in the shaft rather than to provide a chuck, for the end of the shaft may be made smaller in diameter than any chuck suitable for the purpose, which permits screws to be set near the edges of the heel without marring the upper or the insideof the counter.

Further provisions for adjustment to accommodate shoes of different types and for drilling holes of different depths and setting screws of different heights, are afforded by the ability to secure the table bracket IS, the bracket 19 for the speed reducing mechanism, and the abutment 32 at different heights on the post i I, as previously described.

The machine thus described is an important advance over any means heretofore used in the from the head of the screw and marring the shoe.

But the invention is not limited exclusively to the art thus indicated. Many of its features and combinations are suitable for other purposes also, such as drilling and setting screws in other things than shoes and the heels thereof, etc. Hence I claim all the novel characteristics and combinations of the machine here illustrated, and of all substantial equivalents thereof, for all the useful purposes and functions to which they may be applied.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A shoe heel applying means comprising a support on which a shoe and unattached heel may be placed in assembled relationship, means for securing such shoe and heel against accidental displacement on the support, comprising a clamp rising from the support and having an extremity arranged to enter the shoe and press against the sole thereof toward the support, a tool carriage, a tool head, a drill and a screw driver both carried by said head and placeable by shifting of the head alternatively in operating position with respect to a shoe on said support, means for driving said drill and screw driver rotatably, and means for propelling said carriage toward the support to cause the cutting of a hole in the shoe and heel by the drill and setting of a screw in such hole by the screw driver.

2. A machine of the character described comprising a supporting frame including a bracket, a work table, said work table and bracket having abutting lugs, a clamp screw passing through the lug of the bracket into threaded engagement with the lug of the table and having a clamping head, a second screw passing through a slot in the table lug into threaded engagement with the bracket lug and having a clamping head bearing on another portion of the table, the table being angularly adjustable about the second named screw and the bracket lug having an opening through which the first named screw passes of larger dimensions than said screw and suitably located to permit movement of said screw with the table.

3. In a machine of the character described, a supporting structure including a work table, a clamp rod passing through the table and having a bent over end to overlie a work piece and clamp the same against the table, said clamp rod having a nonrotative endwise sliding engagement with the table, and a nut rotatably supported by the table in threaded engagement with the rod for moving the extremity of the clamp rod toward and away from the supporting surface of the table.

4. A machine for securing shoe heels to shoes comprising a supporting structure having an upright guiding portion, a work table on said structure, a tool carriage movable on said guiding portion toward and away from said table, a drill mounted rotatably on said carriage protruding toward the table and adapted to be carried toward and away from the table by movement of the carriage on said guiding portion, and a clamp mounted on the table, rising therefrom and having a bent over portion in position to enter a shoe resting on the table and to secure such shoe with its heel end in line with the drill.

5. A machine for securing heels to shoes comprising a work supporting table having an upper surface arranged to support a shoe in upright position with an unattached heel beneath the heel seat of the shoe, a clamp rising from the table and having an offset extremity adapted to enter the shoe and bear on the sole thereof adjacent to the heel, means for moving the clamp to force its extremity against the shoe heel toward the table, a guide member rising at the rear of the table, a carriage mounted on said guide member projecting forwardly over the table and being movable toward and away from the table, a pivot stud projecting laterally from the forward part of the table over the prescribed location for the heel end and heel of a shoe, a tool head rotatably mounted on said stud having oppositely extending shaft bearings radial to the stud, shafts mounted rotatably in said bearings, a drill carried by the extremity of one of said shafts, and a screw driver blade on the extremity of the other shaft, shaft rotating means coaxial with the stud, and an operating handle accessible to an operator standing in front of the table for moving the carriage toward the table from a position displaced therefrom.

6. A machine for use by shoemakers in attaching heels to shoes comprising a table having an upper supporting surface, a clamp having a shank portion rising from the table and a bent over leg adapted to enter a shoe placed on said table and bear at its extremity on the upper side of the shoe sole, said clamp being also bent in a plane transverse to the plane of the bend joining said leg with the shank portion, means for moving the clamp to exert pressure by means of the extremity of said leg toward the table upon a work piece resting on the table, a carriage supported above the table with provisions for movement toward and away from the supporting surface thereof, a tool mounted on the carriage projecting parallel with the line of movement thereof toward the area of the table prescribed for the clamped location of the heel and heel seat of a shoe, means for driving the tool, and manually operable means for moving the carriage toward and away from the table.

7. A machine as and for the purpose set forth I comprising a base, a post secured to said base and rising therefrom, a driving motor mounted on the base at one side of the post, a work table secured to the post and projecting therefrom at the side away from the motor, said table being connected to the post for adjustment lengthwise thereof and also into different planes transverse to the post, a gear case supported on the post above the motor, a carriage guided on the post for movement longitudinally thereof and projecting over the table, a tool shaft mounted on the carriage extending toward the table, a shaft mounted in the said gear case, power transmitting means between said motor and shaft, and power transmitting means between said last named shaft and the tool shaft.

ROBERT ELLISON. 

